How To Cold Message on LinkedIn: 5 Templates for 2024

You have lead lists with emails, phone numbers, and detailed company information.

But still have questions about how to reach your leads in a way that will get you a response.

You’re in the right place, as B2B prospecting isn’t just about having accurate information.

It’s about effectively communicating the right message through the right channel to engage your potential leads.

And so I’m here to say that LinkedIn Cold messaging is the tactic that will change your game.

Your new challenge now is to craft the perfect LinkedIn cold message that captures attention, sparks interest, and keeps the conversation flowing.

In this article, you’ll find essential tips and ready-to-use cold message templates for your LinkedIn Prospecting campaigns.

You’ll discover:

• Why is cold messaging on LinkedIn so effective?
• The power of the mutual connection approach
• Understanding the interests of your target audience
• How to write LinkedIn cold messages
• 5 effective LinkedIn cold message templates
• Tips for following up on LinkedIn

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Why is Cold Messaging on LinkedIn So Effective?

Cold messaging on LinkedIn is highly effective due to several advantages:

• Direct access to decision-makers: By bypassing intermediaries and gatekeepers, you can connect directly with key decision-makers and industry leaders.

• Personalized value proposition: Differentiate yourself with a value proposition tailored to the needs and interests of your audience.

• Rapport and trust building: Building rapport and trust with potential customers, collaborators, or recruiters can help you maintain long-term professional relations.

• Network-driven referrals: Using LinkedIn for cold outreach can lead to referrals and recommendations from within your network, building credibility.

• Professional network expansion: It provides a way to grow your professional network, paving the way for future collaborations and business opportunities.

The Power of the Mutual Connection Approach

Employing mutual connections as a starting point is one of the most successful strategies when sending cold messages on LinkedIn.

It softens the introduction, fosters trust, and improves your odds of receiving a reply.

Follow these steps to master this technique:

Optimize Your Profile for Professionalism

Before reaching out on LinkedIn, ensuring your LinkedIn profile radiates professionalism is crucial.

Make sure that you’ve selected a clear, approachable profile picture.

Choose a background image representing your expertise, craft a concise and powerful headline, and ensure your summary is clear and accessible from overused buzzwords.

Creating a good first impression is critical, so it’s essential to communicate effectively the unique benefits you bring to your prospective contacts.

Highlighting Mutual Connections, Shared Interests, or Groups

Dig into your intended recipient’s LinkedIn presence to discover mutual contacts, common interests, or shared groups.

Click “Mutual Connections” under their profile photo to view who they’re connected with.

Skim through their profile for shared hobbies or passions, and identify LinkedIn groups they participate in to understand their interests or discussion topics.

Engaging in the same groups can help build rapport and lay the foundation for your conversation.

Recommendations for Building Credibility

To further establish your credibility before sending your first cold outreach message, consider endorsing their skills or crafting a recommendation for them on LinkedIn.

At the same time, recommendations offer a more intimate and elaborate testament to your professionalism.

Executing these gestures can enhance your profile and boost your chances of a favorable response.

Understanding the Interests of Your Target Audience

Once you’ve polished your profile and identified mutual connections, the essential step is to grasp your target recipient’s needs and interests.

Doing so enables you to compose a message that truly connects with them, showing that you care for their challenges and goals.

Here are several tips for doing it effectively:

Why Proper Research is Crucial

Conducting thorough research before reaching out on LinkedIn is pivotal because it enables you to:

• Identify prospects who’ll benefit from your product or service
• Categorize your audience by industry, job title, location, and company size
• Personalize your approach to their unique challenges, interests, and goals
• Offer valuable insights addressing their issues or achieving their objectives
• Build trust by demonstrating your understanding of their needs

Without this groundwork, you risk crafting generic, irrelevant, or even spam-like messages that your prospects can disregard or decline.

Moreover, you might waste time and resources on individuals who lack interest or are unsuitable for your offering.

Importance of Personalized Messaging

Messages that are tailored to a recipient’s background are imperative as they:

• Grab their attention and spark curiosity
• Reflect on your effort to understand them
• Demonstrate your domain expertise and authority
• Initiate meaningful interaction by posing questions or asking for feedback
• Enhance your response rate by converting it into an outcome

Consider rich information sources such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s advanced search filters to tailor your message effectively.

This will provide deeper insights into your target audience’s responsibilities and interests.

To create a message that truly resonates with each recipient, making it more personalized, relevant, and impactful, consider the following strategies:

• Take a look at their LinkedIn profile: Look for information about their current job responsibilities, past work experience, skills, recommendations, interests, and group memberships.

This can give you a comprehensive view of their professional background and preferences.

• Explore their company website: Understand the company’s mission, values, services or products, key competitors, and overall industry landscape.

This will help you tailor your message to their organizational context.

• Monitor their social media engagement: Pay attention to their activity on social media platforms (even on LinkedIn).

Look at what they post, share, comment on, and the discussions they engage in.

This can provide insight into their interests and opinions.

• Review their published content: If they have created content such as blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, e-books, or white papers, review these materials.

This can help you understand their points of view, identify challenges they may be facing, and suggest relevant solutions.

• Leverage mutual connections: Use your mutual connections to make introductions, bolster your credibility, and provide referrals and testimonials.

These connections can provide valuable insights and strengthen your approach.

By leveraging these insights, you can sculpt your message to resonate with each unique recipient, making it substantially more personalized, relevant, and impactful.

How to Write LinkedIn Cold Messages

With a robust LinkedIn profile, an understanding of shared connections, and insights into your target recipient’s interests, the next step is to compose an impactful LinkedIn cold first message.

Keep your sales pitch brief, tailored towards your common ground with your potential clients.

And so, here are the must-follow rules when writing LinkedIn cold messages:

• Personalize your message by addressing the recipient by name and bringing up a mutual connection, shared interests, or groups.

• Clearly articulate your intent and value proposition.

Explain why you are reaching out, what you bring to the table, and how you intend to assist.

• Maintain professionalism with a respectful tone, avoid complex jargon or emojis, and proofread for spelling or grammatical errors.

• Be succinct and trim the fat from your message.

Aiming for no more than three paragraphs can help keep it concise.

• Propose a call to action (CTA) to nudge the recipient towards responding.

Whether it’s an open-ended question, a meeting proposal, or an invitation to peruse your website or materials, ensure it engages them with your message.

5 Effective LinkedIn Cold Message Templates

Our five LinkedIn cold message examples are designed to initiate dialogue with your prospects.

You can customize them to your preference, but ensure they remain personalized, clear, and professional.

Template 1: The Mutual Connection Approach

If you share a mutual connection with the person you’re contacting, this template can help you leverage that existing relationship for an introduction or referral:

Subject: [Mutual connection’s name] gave me your contact

Hi [Recipient’s name],

I see we both know [Mutual connection’s name], who I’ve been working with at [Company name].
[Mutual connection’s name] mentioned you during our last chat.

At [Company name] we’re looking for talents in [particular sphere]: [link to the job offer]
And I think that you could be a great fit for that role.
Would you be interested?

Template 2: The Shared Interest Pitch

When you discover a common interest with your recipient, this template is a great way to spark a conversation:

Subject: inspiring to see your interest in [Shared interest]

Hello [Recipient’s name],

I stumbled upon your profile and was excited to see we share a passion for [Shared interest].
I have been immersed in [Shared interest] for [How long] and have found it [Why you enjoy it].

So I’m reaching out to share our [Shared interest] experiences and discuss how we can incorporate this passion into our careers.
Would you be up to chat about it?

Template 3: The Value Proposition

This template pitches a product, service, or solution that could present value to your target recipient:

Subject: benefit from [Your product/service]

Hi [Recipient’s name],

Your company’s [Achievement] has caught my attention, and I see immense growth potential in [Give details and numbers on potential growth].
However, after my analyse I noticed the [Pain point] you might be encountering.

I’m reaching out to suggest [Your product/service].
Here is how [Your product/service] could provide significant advantages:
– [Feature 1] – [Benefit 1]
– [Feature 2] – [Benefit 2]

Would you like me to send you our demo and discuss how [Your product/service] can serve your needs?

Template 4: The Potential Partnership Proposal

For proposing a collaboration, this template outlines the benefits and possibilities of a partnership:

Subject: exploring a strategic partner

Hi [Recipient’s name],

It’s impressive to see your [Achievement] – I see tremendous value you offer.
[Your company name] offers [product/service] which matches perfectly with [their product/service].
This made me think about an effective partnership idea.

Here’s what I propose:
– [Partnership idea 1] – [How it benefits both].
Would you be interested in delving deeper into this?

Template 5: The Request for Advice

Use this template when seeking advice from someone you respect, like career guidance or a professional recommendation.

Subject: seeking your insight on [Topic]

Hi [Recipient’s Name],

I’ve been following your work, particularly your approach to [accomplishment or challenge], which I find truly inspiring.
Your expertise in this area is something I look up to, and any guidance from you would be valuable.

Briefly, here’s my situation:
– [Summarize your situation or goal].
– [Explain why you need advice].
– [Mention what you’ve already considered or tried].

I would like to know: [Ask your specific question]?

Tips for Following Up on LinkedIn

Successfully sending a follow-up message on LinkedIn is integral to nurturing connections and advancing professional relationships.

It’s common to be unsure about the appropriate timing, frequency, and content of these messages.

Below are best practices for enhancing your following up tactics on LinkedIn, by knowing:

• When and how often to follow up
• What to include in a follow-up message

When and How Often to Follow Up?

There’s no right or wrong answer, as it depends on factors such as your goals, your industry, the nature of the relationship, and how you’ve interacted with your contact.

However, here are some basic rules you can follow:

• Initiate your first follow-up within 24 hours after you reach out or meet, reinforcing your interest and ensuring you remain in their thoughts.

• Your second message should come within a week of the first.

It’s a balance between persistence and respect, opening up another opportunity for engagement.

• Send your third and final message within two weeks of the second to show commitment and encourage a prompt response.

• Limit yourself to three follow-ups unless your relationship justifies or requires more.

Overdoing it can be off-putting and potentially harm your reputation.

• Space your messages by a couple of days, alternating times and days to increase your chances of your message being noticed and read.

• Analyze the effectiveness of your follow-ups.

Consider automating and refining your LinkedIn outreach with tools like Expandi or Octopus CRM.

What to Include in a Follow-up Message

Creating the right follow-up message requires a delicate touch—professional yet personable, assertive yet not aggressive.

Below are some ideas for constructing compelling follow-up messages:

• Start with a refresher on who you are and the reason for connecting.

Recap your prior interactions succinctly, reinforcing your intent and the mutual benefits.

• Deliver value and insight – offer information that could benefit your recipient.

Such as articles, podcasts, webinars, case studies, or client feedback.

• Include a question or a clear call to action (CTA), making the next steps straightforward for your recipient, like setting up a meeting or visiting your site.

• Convey your message in a friendly, casual tone and tailor it to your recipient.

Mention recent achievements to foster a personal connection.

• Be concise and to the point.

A brief three-paragraph message or bulleted points can improve legibility and retain your recipient’s attention.

Conclusion

Cold messaging on LinkedIn is a powerful and effective strategy to forge new connections with potential customers, startups looking to scale, and decision-makers open to a well-crafted sales pitch.

Yet, it demands considerable research, customization, and professionalism to elicit a favorable response from a salesperson’s perspective.

When developing your LinkedIn cold outreach, keep these essential steps in mind:

• Make sure your profile is professional and trustworthy
• Leverage your network for mutual connections and shared interests
• Tailor your message to the specific needs and interests of your targets
• Balance personalization with professionalism and create an engaging subject line
• Offer valuable insights and include a compelling call to action
• Follow up on time to provide additional value and insight
• Use the provided templates as a base, but adjust them to your style and context

FAQ

Is It Better To Cold Email Or Cold Message On LinkedIn?

Both Cold Email and Cold Message have their benefits and challenges.

However, it’s more effective when you use both channels. But that’s not all. You can also use LinkedIn messages.

Top sales teams leverage all three channels—email, LinkedIn messages, and InMails—for better outcomes because:

1. Emails and LinkedIn messages are complementary. You get 150 Emails per day, 100 Connection requests per week, and 50 InMail per month.
2. You can automate your multichannel outreach
3. LinkedIn messages and Emails follow the same rules: personalization, copywriting, and segmentation.

How To Write a Good Cold Message On LinkedIn?

To write a good LinkedIn cold message, here are 5 easy but crucial rules to follow:

1. Personalize your message – use the recipient’s name and mention mutual connections, interests, or groups.
2. Be clear. State your purpose and the solution you offer.
3. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, and avoid slang or emoticons.
4. Keep it short and to the point.
5. To encourage a response, include a clear call to action.

What Is A Good First LinkedIn Message? 

Message to a Group Member

Hello <first name>,

I just joined the <group_name> LinkedIn group and see that you talk a lot aout <topic>.
I am working on a porject in that domain.

Would you be down to exchange more about <a specific question> on that <topic>?
I’m curious to know your perspective!

Disclosure

This content was partly written by AI (ChatGPT 4), I added my own perspective, fact-checked it and made sure it is helpful for you.